The U.S. taxpayer-backed Afghan government is reportedly funding schools and hospitals operated by the Taliban as the terrorist group attempts to establish itself as a legitimate administration in the large swathes of the country under its control.

An estimated 300 Marines are reportedly gearing up to deploy to the Taliban stronghold and top opium-producing province of Helmand, Afghanistan, as part of a task force expected to train members of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF).

Some U.S. Special Operations forces on the ground in Afghanistan found themselves in a “combat situation” a little over a year after President Obama declared their combat mission over, according to the Pentagon.